


No Regrets

by Wandering_Willow



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adultery, Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:34:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22309486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wandering_Willow/pseuds/Wandering_Willow
Summary: Belle tries to be a good wife, even though she is unhappily married. That changes when she finds herself naked in a hotel room with Mr. Gold... her husbands boss.
Relationships: Belle/Gaston (Once Upon a Time), Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Comments: 18
Kudos: 67





	No Regrets

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know where this came from, but I figured, why not? Despite the summary, there is no smut here. So if you're looking for it, it didn't manage it's way into this fic.

Belle groaned into her pillow as she felt herself wake from sleep. She nuzzled closer to it, feeling its softness against her cheek as she stretched her limbs. Her mouth felt like the Sahara desert and her stomach couldn't decide between downing an entire breakfast or heaving up anything still remaining.

She opened her eyes, adjusting to the light filling in around the curtains. She frowned as she stared at the sliver of outside available through their opening. She hadn't remembered her and Gaston's room being so high, or having such a nice view.

Her eyes traveled across the room, forcing her to sit up as she took in the space. Although many things looked identical, it was definitely not the same room she and Gaston checked into yesterday. She peered down at herself, seeing she was completely naked. Her dress and heels were strewn on the floor and the bed beside her had been occupied at some point. There was a pleasant ache between her legs, which meant she and Gaston must have had sex for the first time in a...very long time.

That in and of itself was unusual, drinking usually had the opposite effect on him as he would pass out before he could get his pants off. She didn't remember Gaston talking about getting their room upgraded, but it wouldn't surprise her if he had done it at some point during the night before they settled in. He'd definitely be extra pushy if he managed that and therefore the ache made sense. She clearly had too much to drink and when she drank, she got horny.

She closed her eyes, hoping the sunlight would go away until she managed to get herself together again. She heard the toilet in the bathroom flush, which sounded like a great idea now that she thought about it.

She flung the covers off of her and slowly made her way to the direction of the toilet flush. Her head was heavy and everything ached. She was getting too old to drink like she was still twenty-one, but Gaston was a pusher, especially when he knew it was typically a guaranteed lay.

The door to the bathroom flung open, startling her backwards. Her eyes opened wide when she noticed it was not Gaston inside, but his boss, standing in nothing but his boxers.

“Mr. Gold!” She said in surprise.

He gave her his signature crooked grin. “Good morning Belle.”

Suddenly, the rest of the night came back to her.

–

_The Night Before_

“Here Belle, have something to drink,” Gaston said as he handed her a glass of wine. She took it without complaint, knowing the night was going to be more enjoyable if she kept herself pleasantly buzzed. “I need you on your best behavior. If I can close on a couple of deals tonight, Gold might consider me for a partner position.”

She almost snorted into her drink. She doubted Gold would ever do such a thing, but Gaston liked to think highly of himself and not dwell on his shortcomings.

“I'm always on my best behavior,” she remarked as she sipped her wine.

He huffed. “I mean it. When I'm talking, don't interrupt. Don't try and impress the masses with how smart you are. Keep it short and simple. You're here to look pretty, not offer anything of value.”

She rolled her eyes. “In that case, you might as well walk around with a cardboard cutout of me instead.”

“No smart ass remarks either,” he warned.

“But you make it so easy,” she innocently smiled.

“You know what? I don't need you. It's not worth the risk. I'll find you later.” He frowned as he stalked off. She saluted to his retreating form with a grin before she took another sip.

“Trouble in paradise?” a familiar Scottish brogue asked from behind.

She turned around, finding none other than Mr. Gold. “Of course not,” she lied. As much as she hated Gaston, she never wanted to jeopardize his job because of her own actions.

He chuckled. “I know an unhappy marriage when I see one.”

“He knows its more expensive for him if he tries to divorce me, so he hasn't bothered.” The words slipped out before she could stop them and she held her breath for his reaction.

Gold let out a laugh, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he did so. “Where were you to tell me that when I got divorced?”

She shrugged with a smile, feeling herself relax at his reaction. “Probably still happily married until I came to my senses.”

He shook his head with a smirk. “Divorcing that woman was the best thing that I've ever done,” he admitted. “You don't realize how much of a weight it is until it's gone.”

She had imagined it plenty of times, so much so she almost went to an attorney once. Then Gaston had planned a rare romantic evening for them and she forgot all about it.

“Maybe someday.” She pressed her lips together in a tight half-smile as she looked away. The party was in full swing with everyone holding a glass of alcohol and fake smiles on their lips. She spotted Gaston easily, talking to a man she knew to be a prospective client by the way Gaston smiled. He used to smile at her like that, once upon a time.

“I will never make your husband partner.”

She raised a knowing eyebrow to Gold. “If you did, my opinion of you would drop drastically.”

She watched him smirk into his drink, trying to hide his amusement. “So you have a high opinion of me then? That's a rarity.”

“Don't let it get to your head,” she teased. “Your ego is big enough, I'm afraid if it got any bigger you wouldn't fit through the door.”

He chuckled and raised his glass. “I'll drink to that.”

She always enjoyed her chats with Gold. At first she was unsure of the man, due to his reputation and everything Gaston had told her about him. She had been afraid to say anything more than pleasantries in Gaston's presence, hearing Gold had a temper, sometimes over nothing.

Yet over the years she found herself alone with him here and there and she found that the true man underneath was witty, smart and had a sense of humor some people didn't understand. He enjoyed her sarcastic remarks, offering up his own, and had been nothing short of nice to her every time they met.

It had gotten to the point where she willingly went to outings with Gaston, hoping Gold would show up. It was no surprise she had developed a crush on the man, something she planned on taking to her grave.

She finished her wine and wondered if she should have another. She never liked large events with people, even though she found herself at them frequently. She could talk and smile and get along just fine, but it was never her idea of a good time. Now that Gaston had abandoned her, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself.

“Would you like to get out of here?”

She turned to Gold in surprise. “Don't you have to stay?”

He finished his drink and set it on an empty tray going by. “I've kissed enough ass to last me the year.”

Her lips quirked up into a smile. “Do you have a place in mind?”

“My hotel room,” he suggested nonchalantly.

Belle's heart beat wildly in her chest. “Your hotel room,” she repeated, the skepticism no doubt showing on her face.

He smirked. “I have a suite. We can drink and talk in peace. Maybe even order some room service if we're feeling crazy. Why, what were you thinking?”

She pressed her lips together, trying not to enjoy the mischievous look in his eyes. “That sounds lovely.”

He led the way, no one noticing as they left together. They took the elevator close to the top of the hotel before exiting, his room at the end of the hallway. When they walked in, she was impressed. It was a very nice suite, exactly what she'd picture him to have.

“What would you like to drink? I've got an entire bar over here, so don't be shy.”

She eyed the drinks and shrugged. “Surprise me.”

He smirked. “All right, you asked for it.”

She walked across the room to the floor to ceiling windows, taking in one of the nicest views of the city. Everything glowed under lights against the night sky, looking almost magical. She imagined being one of the twinkling lights in the abyss, leading a different life, being a different person. Who did that twinkling light in the distance belong to? Was it a man out for a night on the town, newly legal to drink? Was it a single mother working late to provide for her kids?

At one point she thought she could be anywhere, doing anything. She was going to travel the world, she was going to do something with her life. Instead she was best known as Gaston's wife. Not Belle, not even that quirky odd librarian, but Gaston's. Little. Wife.

“Enjoying the view?” He asked as he handed her a drink, breaking her of her thoughts.

She took it with a nod. “It's beautiful.”

“I only surround myself with beautiful things.”

When she turned, she found him staring at her as if... she blushed at the thought and walked away from the view. It wasn't possible he could have been referring to her. “This is a nice room.” He hummed to agree with her as she sipped her drink, promptly coughing as it hit the back of her throat. “What the hell is this?”

He smirked. “You wanted to be surprised.”

She licked her lips and tried not to scrunch her nose at the lingering taste. “It's a bit strong.”

“I'm sorry, does it offend your delicate senses?”

She playfully shoved him aside. “Ass.”

“You'll need to work harder than that to offend me.”

“I didn't think it was even possible,” she teased as she sat on the couch.

He joined her on the other side with a grin. “Despite what everyone says, I _am_ still human.”

“To being human,” she saluted with her drink before they each took a sip. She pulled another face as the liquid hit her throat again, but she was determined to see it through. She did ask for it, after all.

“How does someone like you end up with a man like Gaston?”

Her eyebrows furrowed at the sudden question. “What do you mean?” Everywhere she went, everyone always thought they were the perfect couple. They did a good job making it look like it, she supposed.

“He's... manipulative and disingenuous. You're quite the opposite.”

She shrugged. “I started dating him in high school. We got married when I was twenty. I didn't know any better, I thought he was this great guy. I guess we were happy initially, but people change.” She stared into her drink, realizing she was going to have to go back at some point and see him.

“I caught him having sex with his secretary,” he blurted.

She raised her eyebrows at his admission. He looked like a weight had been lifted, even though the shadows still remained on his face. “Is that why you invited me up here?”

“Well... yes,” he admitted, looking sheepish. “I wasn't sure how you were going to take it. I'd like to believe we've become friends and I couldn't in good conscience keep it to myself.”

She couldn't help but smile at his words. They were friends, in some weird kind of way. She could be herself around him and he didn't seem to mind that she was a bit odd. “Thanks for telling me, but I already knew.”

“What? It just happened yesterday.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from smiling further at his confusion. “It's been going on for months.”

“It doesn't bother you?”

She snorted and sipped her drink. “The first time it happened, I was upset. I thought it was my fault, hell, he made it seem like it was my fault. Yet no matter what I did, he kept doing it and I realized he was never going to be faithful. It keeps him from bothering me, so I don't care anymore.”

He shook his head and took a large sip of his drink. He looked confused and even a little put out by her admission, like it somehow affected him.

“What about you? I've never seen you with anyone. Living every mans dream of being a rich single bachelor?” She teased. Gaston had, more than once, lamented on how he wished he was back in his prime, single and free.

He rolled his eyes with a huff. “Hardly. Can't say I had much faith in women after my divorce.”

She remembered Gaston telling her about his divorce, tidbits he had heard from the office. His divorce was years ago, but it had been so nasty and contentious that it was all some people could mention where he was concerned. Everyone agreed that despite how nasty Gold could be, his ex-wife was worse.

“What was the final straw? What made you decide it was finally time to end it?” She had always wondered herself. Gaston wasn't perfect, but he wasn't the most terrible person either. She knew people with far worse and volatile marriages.

He swirled his drink in his hand and stared into it as if it had all the answers. “It was a million different things, in the end. I could give you a long list of everything that I hated, everything about her that I despised. But I remember when I realized it was over.” He sipped his drink and continued to stare at it.

“We went to a colleagues house for dinner. My ex kept making nasty remarks about everything under her breath, to which I ignored. It wasn't unusual for her to do such a thing,” he elaborated. “Then I went to help this colleague—this friend, actually, in the kitchen. He was standing there with his wife and they were laughing. Full on laughing over nothing,” he said as a grin emerged from the memory. “And I realized... I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed like that with my wife.”

Her breathing stopped. When was the last time she and Gaston truly laughed with each other? They laughed at other peoples bad jokes to keep up appearances, but not with each other. She shook her head of that thought, not wanting to dwell on it.

“I hope your friend is still happy.”

He let out a chuckle and looked to her. “Disgustingly so. My parents never set a good example for what a marriage should be, but David and his wife set a pretty high bar.”

She grinned as she thought of her parents. “My parents loved each other. Dad would come home sometimes with these beautiful floral arrangements. He was a florist,” she explained. “So it wasn't like he went out of his way, but my mum loved flowers. No matter how many times he did it, you would think she won the lottery. I never understood it until I got older.”

It was the simple act of her father always having her mother in his thoughts and wanting to do something for her, even something small. They weren't wealthy, so he had to work with what he had. All he cared about was making her mother happy, it didn't matter how he did it. What she wouldn't give to have Gaston think about her with that much care.

“Does he still bring her flowers?”

A slow, sad smile crossed her face. “She passed when I was sixteen. Cancer. He brought flowers to her gravestone every week, then every month and then... he stopped going all together. He started drinking, he was completely lost without her.” She took a sip, hoping it would calm her emotions. “It's partly why I married Gaston. His family has money and he promised to get my father the best help there was. And he did,” she nodded. “But he relapsed, over and over, until one day he was so drunk he drove into a tree...” She stared at her glass, not wanting to relive that memory. “That was almost five years ago. Now I bring them flowers.”

“I'm sorry.” His voice was soft, softer than she had ever heard from him. She looked up to him, seeing his frown. “I wish there was something more I could say, but I find sometimes, there are no words to express the depth of our emotions or experiences and this is one of those moments.”

She finished off the last of her drink in a couple large gulps, enjoying the way her throat burned. She held her glass to him. “Surprise me.”

He arched an eyebrow at her, but shrugged and took her glass anyway. “Would you mind if I put some music on?”

“Not at all.”

Soon enough, soft classical music played through the speakers, filling the quiet space. It was beautiful music and it reminded her that she should go see the local philharmonic more often. She remembered when she was a child and her mom would play music and they would dance together. Her father would cut in and she would watch as they danced across the room, her father stepping on her mothers toes every so often.

Her mother always had the grace and the patience of an angel, he'd say. She took lessons years ago to refresh her memory, but it wasn't the same. She had been paired with a random person in class as Gaston had adamantly refused to go with her. She thought it would be a fun romantic hobby for them... he thought otherwise.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Gold said, breaking her of her reverie as he held out a drink.

She took the drink, seeing it was something different than before. “I was just thinking about the times my mum taught me to dance to music like this.”

He smiled and extended his hand. “Care to dance, m'lady?”

She looked at his hand before her eyes met his. “Really?”

“Don't let the cane fool you, I'm much more balanced than you think,” he said with a wink.

There was no harm in dancing, right? She stared at his hand for another few seconds before she set her drink down and slid her hand into his. He led them away from the furniture before his other hand settled on her waist and hers to his shoulder.

She followed his lead as they effortlessly glided across the room. She stared into his eyes, seeing a warmth in them that melted a piece of her heart. “You're an excellent dancer.”

He smirked. “You sound surprised.”

She shook her head at him, giving him a cheeky grin. “I'll admit, I didn't peg you for a dancer.”

“I get that a lot,” he joked as he led her around. He twirled her around without a thought and when she was back in his arms, she couldn't help but grin at how much she enjoyed it. “You liked that, did you?” He continued leading her around the room, twirling her now and again, picking up the pace with the music.

His grip on her was firm, yet somehow gentle and she never wanted to leave his arms. He seemed to be having just as much fun and she couldn't remember a time where she had seen him so at peace. It made him look younger and far more handsome, in her eyes.

To her surprise, as the song came to a close, he ended it by dipping her backwards with surprising strength. By the time he helped her to stand straight again, she was laughing. “I've forgotten how much fun this could be!”

He stepped away and bowed to her, a smile on his face when he stood back up. “If you ever need a dance partner, you know who to call.”

“Mr. Gold apparently,” she giggled as she reached for her drink to take a sip. This one wasn't as offensive as the last... either that, or she was starting not to care.

“Rumford,” he said.

“Gesundheit?” She responded in confusion.

“My name,” he said with a chuckle. “Is Rumford.”

She stared at him in surprise. Even Gaston didn't know his first name, it was apparently one of his best kept secrets. “Nice to meet you Rumford.” She held out her hand and watched as he shook it with a grin.

“Likewise Belle.”

She felt special, being one of the few to know his name. She would guard that secret too, taking pleasure that he entrusted her to keep it safe. “Any other hidden talents I should know about?”

He had risen to the challenge, showing her that he had managed to learn all kinds of dances to different kinds of music. He would show her move and she would attempt it, only to stumble a bit or fall over as she did. They drank in between until she wasn't sure how many drinks they had because neither of them could stand upright for long.

She would laugh as he stumbled and slurred his words, promising he knew exactly how to do something, only to fail. She'd make fun of him and dance obtusely, making him laugh in return. She attempted a move he had just showed her, but in between her clumsiness and inebriated state, she stumbled and started to fall backwards.

She closed her eyes and braced herself for impact, but it never came. Instead she was caught by strong arms that hauled her back onto her feet. Her eyes sprung open and she was face to face with Rum, his arms wrapped around her, keeping her close.

He smelled so good, way too good for her to be near him. “You caught me,” she breathed as she stared into his eyes.

“Of course I did,” he replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Neither moved, but her eyes drifted to his lips. She had fantasized about those lips and what they could do. She had fantasized about being in his arms and that felt even better than she imagined.

Without thinking she closed the gap and kissed him, his lips soft and warm against hers. Her eyes flew open once she realized what she had done and she pulled away. “I'm so sorry—I don't know—“ She was cut off by his lips crashing into hers, his arms pulling her closer to him as he did so.

Any panic she felt disappeared as she kissed him back.

–

_Present time_

“Good morning Belle.”

She became very aware of her nakedness and also her need to relieve her bladder. “I have to pee!” She explained as she pushed past him and shoved him out of the bathroom so she could shut the door.

She scurried to the toilet to relieve herself and winced as she thought on her words. How had she let this happen? Well, she knew how and as she remembered it, she didn't regret it.

He was, hands down, the best lay she ever had. It didn't mean much since she had only been with Gaston, but she couldn't imagine sex being any better than what she had last night. The things his fingers did... his _mouth_...

She buried her head in her hands. She royally fucked up.

Gaston was probably wondering where she was and it wasn't like she could tell him, for a number of reasons. First, Gold was his boss and he had always told her not to do anything to jeopardize his job. Second, even though Gaston cheated on her regularly, she never once cheated on him. He never expressly told her she couldn't cheat on him, but she had the impression he wouldn't take it well.

She pulled her head up. Why did she care? Because she never thought she'd be a woman who cheated on her husband. She tried so hard to be better than Gaston and here she was, naked, in his boss' hotel room.

She flushed and looked around the bathroom, hoping to find something to cover herself with. Not that it mattered, he had seen everything last night.

She spotted a towel still folded on the counter and wrapped it around herself. She quickly washed her face and tried her best to comb out her hair with her fingers, but there was only so much she could do without her own supplies.

She walked to the door and stood up straight, preparing herself to be strong when she saw him on the other side. Except she opened the door and he was nowhere to be seen. She frowned and made a beeline for the bedroom, hoping he had given her a reprieve where she could dress quickly and scurry out.

When she entered the bedroom, he was sitting on the bed, menu in hand. “What do you feel like for breakfast?” He absently asked as he stared at the menu.

She blinked and stared at him, thinking she misheard him “What?”

“I'm getting room service. I think I might try out one of their omelets.”

He was sitting, in his boxers, back against the headboard as he looked at the menu. As if it were completely normal to do so.

“I... can't stay. Gaston is probably wondering where I am.” She saw her phone on the nightstand and grabbed it, knowing she was going to have a lot of messages from her husband wondering where she was.

She unlocked her phone and found... nothing. Not a single message from Gaston. Maybe she had read them when she was drunk? That wouldn't have been good. She opened her text message to Gaston, finding no recent texts from him.

“Let me guess, all quiet on the western front?” He quipped with a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What did you say to him?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I haven't said a word. I know the kind of man he is, is all.”

She frowned and quickly texted him. _We need to talk_.

She set her phone down and quickly picked up her dress from the floor and slid back into it.

“I thought we had fun last night.”

She turned to him, seeing a sadness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. “We did, but I'm _married_. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have...” She shook her head and started searching for her clutch.

“You're married to an unfaithful, ungrateful, asshole.”

She stilled, surprised he had such strong words for his employee, but shrugged it off. “That doesn't mean that I have to be those things too.”

Her phone buzzed and she quickly looked to see if it was Gaston.

_I'm sorry babe, I got caught up with Gold last night and forgot to tell you I was crashing in his room while we talked about work._

She frowned. That meant he hadn't been in their room either, which meant he had no idea she was never there. She quickly replied, _You're with Gold now?_

Her jaw clenched as she waited. She could deal with him cheating, but not lying. He had promised to be honest with her about who he was sneaking around with and she had always believed he was telling the truth.

Her phone lit up with his response. _Yes_.

“That fucking bastard,” she cursed as she threw her phone at the bed. “He has the nerve to bring me here and fuck some random woman and then lie and say he's with _you_?”

Gold's eyebrows rose. “Why would he be with me?”

She held her hands up. “He must think I'm stupid.” She let out a low laugh.

“Would you like to call his bluff?”

She stared at him. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “Tell him you're with me.”

She chewed her lip at the idea. It wouldn't necessarily give anything away, they could both be in the lobby enjoying breakfast together.

She grabbed her phone and quickly typed, _Really? Because I'm with Gold right now_.

Rum pat the place next to him on the bed, inviting her to sit and make herself comfortable. Since she no longer felt the need to tell Gaston where she had been all night, she sat next to him. She stared at her phone, a frown on her face as she looked at it.

How had she let herself be so stupid? He didn't care about her, not in the way that mattered. He only cared about having her on his arm, showing her off to all of his friends like some kind of trophy. She had given every part of herself trying to make it work, while he did nothing.

“I would give anything to call you mine.” Stunned, she looked up at Rum with wide eyes. His eyes were soft and sincere, his smile crooked. “He doesn't deserve you. Your beautiful, kind heart. Your sarcastic sense of humor. Your amazing wealth of knowledge. I never intended for things to escalate the way they did last night, but I don't regret it. I will cherish that memory forever.”

Her mouth opened, but she quickly closed it. “I don't understand.”

He smiled fully as he looked away. “I like you. I've liked you for years. I honestly thought you had figured it out by now.”

Her heart fluttered in her chest. He was fiddling with his thumbs and she realized he was shy at his admission. Rumford Gold, ruthless businessman, was shy because of _her_.

“So you planned this whole thing.”

He hurriedly shook his head. “No. Yes—but no. I intended on bringing you up here to talk, have a few minutes alone with you without anyone else interrupting. I wasn't trying to seduce you. I didn't think I could seduce you, anyway,” he chuckled to himself.

His words were genuine and she believed him. Unlike her lying piece of shit husband. “I was the one who kissed you first,” she said with a guilty smile.

He smirked. “Ah, yes. I know we both had our share of drinks last night, but I don't regret it. I hope you don't either.”

She eyed his long fingers as they sat in his lap and wondered if they still smelled like her. She blushed at the thought. “I don't,” she admitted. “If we're being honest, I've had a crush on you for a long time. I did not need any convincing.”

His cocky grin appeared and with it, the shyness evaporated. “Oh really?”

She shoved his shoulder with her own. “Don't let it get to your head.” They shared a smile and she checked her phone, seeing no further response from Gaston.

“The offer of room service still stands.”

She glanced up at him as he shook the menu, trying to entice her. She had two choices. Stay with Rum and have a good time, or go back to her hotel room and wait for Gaston to show up, knowing it would end in an argument.

“Let me see that,” she said as she snatched the menu from him. “I worked up quite the appetite. I might have to order one of everything,” she teased as she looked through their options.

His arm wrapped around her, effectively pulling her against his side. “By all means. I'm not going to stop you, you can have whatever you want.”

She bit her lip to keep herself from smiling like an idiot. She could get used to this.


End file.
